PLEASE NOTE: There is a $15,000 authorization required to bid on this lot. NO ONLINE BIDDING ACCEPTED, bidders MUST register with the auction house to bid on this lot. A large Chinese cast iron statue of a Luohan with a long inscription on the back dating the piece to the 17th year of the reign of Chenghua in the Ming dynasty. Dimensions are: 31 inches tall X 21 inches long X 14 inches wide, 78.7 cm X 53.3 cm X 35.6 cm. All measurements are approximate. Condition: There is a large area of loss and cracking to the left side of the Luohan. A reminder that all lots are sold as-is. We have sought to record the changes in the condition of this piece after its initial manufacture as diligently as possible; however, as stated in our terms, condition reports are statements of opinion and not representations or warranties. Oakridge Auction Gallery bears no responsibility for any error or omission. Provenance: From an estate in Southern California. Notes: This lot is an exceptionally large cast-iron statue of a luohan that was originally situated in the North Jixiang Temple, which is located in Xijie Village, Liyi Town, Lingchuan County, Shanxi Province, and which was listed among the fourth batch of national key cultural relics protection units in 1996. Founded in the fifth year of Dali in the Tang Dynasty (770), the temple was re-furnished frequently throughout the Northern Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. The statue itself was dedicated there by a group of wealthy donors in February of the 17th year of the reign of the Ming Dynasty emperor Chenghua, which translates to the year AD 1481. Many large dedicatory statues like this were commissioned during the reign of the Chenghua Emperor, although this practice dates back to the Song Dynasty. The iron casting technique utilized to make this piece, called "inner molding," also dates to the Song Dynasty. In this technique, clay or plaster would be inserted into a mould around which the molten iron would be poured, creating hollow pieces of metal to be joined when set.The statue itself is rather simple: it features a luohan seated in meditative contemplation. His facial features are deep and exaggerated, including his large brow, close-set eyes, and elongated earlobes. He wears a voluminous robe which covers his entire body, including his hands and feet. The back of the statue has a long, molded inscription which contains the details of the dedication. The information that is documented in inscriptions on large metal luohan like this one has also lead to them being referred to as "documentary luohan." This piece is impressive for its size, the skill behind its creation, and its historical significance.羅漢又名阿羅漢，意指「一切思惑斷盡」，自唐代開始見於各種藝術形式，有16至100名不等。羅漢是佛祖的弟子，公元437年譯成中文的《入大乘論》中初次提到十六羅漢。公元653年，玄奘法師將十六羅漢之名詳譯成中文。一直以來佛教擁有諸多信徒，羅漢作為佛教信仰神仙中的一種形式，也長期受到人們的供奉。 尊者面容肅穆，眉宇間清澈潤朗，雙眼有神，鼻梁高挺，耳垂長而厚。右手置於左手之上，盤腿而坐，顯得悠然自得，大有看破凡塵、斷除諸漏，而得大自在的狀態。身上袈裟輕柔貼體，衣褶自然流暢，垂落於身邊，刻畫的十分簡單樸素，極為寫實。使其超越凡人的神格在尊者的面容上得到了恰如其分的表現，給人威嚴之感，創造了藝術表現力上的極致。羅漢身刻有銘文顯示其時間為「明成化十七年」，供奉地為吉祥寺。吉祥寺分為南、北吉祥寺，此佛供奉處應為北吉祥寺。北吉祥寺，位於中國山西省陵川縣禮義鎮西街村，毗鄰崔府君廟，與南吉祥寺相距約2千米，1996年被列為第四批全國重點文物保護單位。創建於唐大歷五年(770)，北宋太平興國、元代至元及明、清各代均屢有修建。寺院建築保存基本完整，主要建築有前殿、中殿、後殿、東西配殿及左右廊廡等。前殿、中殿均為宋代遺構，尤其是中殿，單檐懸山頂，梁架簡潔、建築手法古樸，保留了更多的北宋風格。後殿為明代建築。寺內還存有北宋太平興國三年（978）至明、清時期碑刻多塊。寺院布局嚴謹，規模較大，是一處保存基本完好且頗具地方風格的古建遺構。故宮博物院和大英博物館都有與其相似的羅漢擺件，此擺件價值不言而喻，是為一件不可多得的收藏精品。 Similar examples are currently housed in the Palace Museum in Beijing under accession number 00104396, as well as at the British Museum in London under accession number 1990,0413.1. High resolution photos can be found here.參見故宮博物院館藏一尊明弘治十年鐵羅漢像，極為相似，編號新00104396(fig. 1)。另見大英博物館藏一尊坐像，編號1990,0413.1(fig. 2)。